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Planning: Long-term goals

Goals can be long-term or short-term. Because the best planning works from the future to the present it is a good idea to start with a general, long-term plan e.g. a calendar year plan, an academic year plan, or a semester plan. You can use a tool from project management called the Gantt Chart, as pictured below, for this purpose.

Gantt Charts – named after their founder Henry Gantt – are simple to understand and easy to change. You could also include major commitments outside of study-time and you will be able to see problem areas at a glance e.g. a month where three or four tasks/activities/commitments overlap. The Gantt Chart will alert you to the need to plan for these eventualities.

Planning: Short-term goals

Gantt charts only provide a vague description of how the whole year/semester fits together. In order to facilitate effective planning we need to set clear short-term goals by breaking down the tasks in the Gantt Chart. Generally, study goals are short-term goals. Your plan will have to be flexible in order to incorporate new activities e.g. assignments, as they arise. However, you will usually have a broad idea of what is expected of you from course material, lecturers and tutors.